Suggest a Sewing machine please?

Question

I want to learn how to sew...I will need a sewing machine and I want a very basic, old style model. for some reason I think it would be best to learn on something very basic. One that is manual?

something like 50-100-200 years ago style....NOT VINTAGE, just simple....but that is inexpensive and will last a long time and not mess up my fabric. I want to master a simpler machine and develope skills and a few years down the line get a more modern one.

but for now, I would like a basic sewing machine. Can anyone reccomend one? It doesn't have to be by brand...I would rather go by price, and then simple model, then brand or whatever.

thanks

Thanks Maddie! (PS I love your name it’s a fave of mine) that info was very helpful!

For other answerers: Just in case, I have a few details. I am also looking for nothing too complicated, no accessories (or few), not really cheap. Since I hear those break easily.

Kinda sturdy or light? NO fancy stitching just press and line. What I hope is that I'll be able to make dresses one day....Something that will really help me learn the insides and outsides of the sewing machine so I could master it (I am sorta a perfectionist...but thats a bad word to me!) eventually I would like to progress to more complex ones.

I will definitely look into your suggestions.

Oh, I forgot can I get the full name or link to a website on your recommendations?

You don't have to but it would be nice...where can I purchase these?

Answer 1

Start with the Basic Brother or Singer model, I think that it is the $89 one at Wal Mart. It is very basic and does not require a huge investment. I would recommend that you purchase a bottle of sewing machine oil when you buy your machine. Also, start practicing on cotton fabric, it is less temperamental. (Polyester bunches easily and would be easy for the beginner to think that it was a failure on their part.) Which ever machine you choose, familiarize yourself with the instruction manual first. Many non-computerized machines need to be oiled before the first using. This is very easy, just follow the directions in your instruction manual.

Trust me, unless you are very talented and have someone who is going to show you, in person, how to use it, the older, non-electric sewing machines are not good to learn on. That is what my Grandmother used and taught me on. They are incredibly difficult for beginners, and tend to be temperamental! You really need to know the machine well to do troubleshooting yourself, because finding someone to repair them is expensive. Replacement parts are hard to come by; thus, very expensive.

Answer 2

Sure, I'll throw in my two cents' worth. I agree with going to WalMart. I got my machine there for about $100.- or a bit less. That was four years ago. I use it a lot and it's doing just fine. It's a Brother brand. I've had Singer machines. They need oiling more often, but are designed so you can easily oil them. Other than that, they work fine.

I've been designing and making most of my own clothes for years. All my friends (most of whom are non-sewing types) know I sew, and so I get lots of mending requests. I also work in the costume creation department of a summer theatre and get to design and sew period clothing, too. Fun, hm? SO, as you can see, my machine needs to be a workhorse. This one is. It goes forward and backward, sews straight and zigzag, and that's about it. That's all I really need, I've found. I do sew fairly fluently, but never used the fancier stitches when I did have machines that had them. I've moved a fair bit and so have left machines behind and gotten replacements.

Trying to get a treadle (manual, non-electric) machine is probably going to be very expensive in the Western world because those are now all antiques. Get a simple electric one. If you're going somewhere in the third world, get a manual machine once you're there. They still have them available.

Answer 3

I would recommend you go to Walmart and buy a basic sewing machine there. You can get one for under $100. If you go with a used sewing machine, no matter what the age or stye, chances are you will have more trouble with it than it's worth. Sewing machine adjustments can be very tricky if you don't know about them. You are best off with a new machine that will sew nice with no machine problems. It's challenging enough learning to sew without having added machine frustration. And believe me, used machines usually have their problems. So go to Walmart, but their cheapest sewing machine, a very simple pattern of maybe an apron, and some of their cotton fabric that's on sale, and a spool of thread to match. Don't forget to get some new scissors, a flexible measuring tape for sewing, and some stick pins. That's all you need to start. Don't get too fancy in the beginning. Just concentrate on learning with a basic pattern....and an apron is about as basic as you'll find. You can get more creative with clothing as you learn. And when you get to where you're really into sewing and find you love it, that's when you should invest in a fancier, better sewing machine.

Have fun!

Answer 4

Today Singer, the world leader in the sewing machine and accessories industry, announced the global introduction of its new singer line of sewing machines. Singer enlisted thousands of beginning sewers worldwide to help create the state-of-the-art, easy-to-use, affordable, dynamic, and sleek machines that will excite the learner and simplify sewing. With the international resurgence in the craft of sewing, new sewers will now be able to purchase the world’s most user-friendly machine from major retail chains and independently owned sewing machine dealers throughout the world.

Singer’s worldwide focus group research revealed many of the advanced sewing machines in the marketplace are intimidating to beginning sewers. New users simply want to know how to operate the machine and how to get started.

“Young learners make up the largest consumer segment in the sewing machine market,” said Don Fletcher, CEO of SVP Worldwide, Singer’s parent company. “When buying or receiving their first machine, these beginning to intermediate sewers desire an easy-to-use, reliable, affordable, and great looking product. The singer line delivers on all these demands and offers a brand consumers trust, features they want, and a price they can easily afford.”

The singer sewing machines eliminate the usual challenges beginning sewers encounter when using a sewing machine, including threading the needle, threading the bobbin, and not having enough light. To address these traditional challenges, Singer has developed and incorporated the NoError Threading™ process, a SureFit Bobbin™ system, and the StayBright LED™ lighting system into every singer machine. Because these and other technological advancements by Singer make sewing easier for the beginner, Simply the Easiest is the tagline for the global launch campaign.

“The singer line was created from the most extensive consumer research ever conducted by Singer,” said Brad Hunsaker, Global Vice President of Sales and Marketing for SVP Worldwide. “The research showed consumers wanted a more contemporary look and feel, while incorporating many of the traditional features that are distinctly 'Singer.' The singer brand is clean, intuitive, and so simple it will inspire the user.”

Singer incorporated consumer input that has produced a machine reminiscent of the softer more feminine lines, distinctly part of the original singer machines. While an overall white machine was still the most popular choice among research participants, interest was shown in the use of color, which has been distinctly, yet delicately, used as accents. In addition, machine functions are clearly marked with both words and universally understood icons and the traditional Singer “Cameo” has been given an updated design to reflect the contemporary style of the singer line.

The singer sewing machines can be viewed at www.SingerCo.com.

Hope that helps you out. Good luck looking. P.S. I have a singer
and it is the best sewing maching that I have ever had. It is wonderful

Answer 5

I got a $125 Brother sewing machine from wal-mart. It is a basic machine, it has a turn dial to select from 24 stitches including a button hole (a must if you want to make clothes). In the manual for the machine it has two pages of accessories available for the machine. If you are ready to buy a new foot for the machine you can either order it from Brother or go to your local shop.
If you are wanting to make clothes you should get a machine that has at least 24 stitches, due to the different seam lines and stitches they require. Also, make sure it comes with a button hole foot and stitch.

Answer 6

Wal mart has several light weight portable sewing machines. They are prices very reasonable and are very strudy. They have the basic and the techno jobs as well.
If Wal-mart is closing out fabric department you maybe able to get one priced really cheat. On clearance.


Jenn